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Individuals who cannot see or who have visual impairments are benefiting from Braille-equipped electronic readers, iPhones and other devices that are Braille-compatible. Students who cannot see often prefer the new devices over large-print and Braille books, which stand out in the classroom, said Darleen Bogart, national braille convener for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. "Some kids would have a really hard time and do anything to pretend they are just like everybody else," she said. "With technology, they are."

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More individuals who cannot see or who have visual impairments are using text-to-speech software on smartphones, and other assistive technology to complete tasks, instead of Braille. Experts say the trend is leading to a troubling increase in Braille illiteracy, with just 10% of those who cannot see now estimated to be proficient in Braille, a significant decrease since the early 1900s.

An Illinois school district, as part of a pilot program, is using Borders' Kobo e-readers for its students with low vision and visual impairments. The e-readers allow students to select larger text sizes to read books and avoid cumbersome large-print volumes. The Kobo devices were chosen for their compatibility with the Bookshare program, which provides free access to books for students with visual disabilities.

Engineering students from several universities are collaborating on a cheap and convenient Braille label printer. The portable 6dot Braille Labelmaker is still in development but runs on AA batteries and is expected to cost about $200, less than half the cost of similar machines. Braille labels enable people who cannot see to identify items such as canned goods and medicines.

Only about 10% of children who cannot see learn to read Braille and an even smaller percentage of those who are legally blind have learned to do so, according to a report from the National Federation of the Blind. Many educators instead rely on audiobooks and technology, but the federation says that such approaches leave people with visual disabilities functionally illiterate.

Less than 50% of the students that are classified as having visual impairments can read Braille. But after a decade on the decline as students with some vision were pressed to instead use large-print books, the format is being revived through technology advancements, including portable devices that allow students to type and read Braille as well as software capable of producing Braille materials.